


As the Dust Settles

by FandomLastsForever



Series: RWBY Rarepair Week! [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Before James gets his prosthetics, M/M, Magical Tattoos, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 10:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12079002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomLastsForever/pseuds/FandomLastsForever
Summary: Taiyang has always had a talent for manipulating Dust. He's gotten so good at it, he mastered how to incorporate it into his tattoos. And after chatting for months over the phone and in video calls, James finally comes to visit Taiyang on Patch to get one of his own.





	As the Dust Settles

**Author's Note:**

> First day of RWBY Rarepair week!  
> I went with the prompt of "Dust" and this is what I came up with.

Taiyang had just finished preparing the inks when he had gotten the call that James would be there in about twenty minutes. The General wanted a very intricate vine pattern along the right arm made with Gravity dust. Rather unusual, but he could do it. It wasn't the first time he'd used it in his designs. He still couldn't believe James agreed to this. Tai could hardly get anyone to agree to getting a Dust tattoo from him. He was really good at it, as evidenced by the dragon on that was now pleasantly at home on his left forearm.

Then again, infusing Dust into one's own body requires a lot of Aura to help keep it stable. And besides the teachers at Beacon and a certain avian drunkard, not every Hunter had the necessary strength to adapt to the change. Dust tattoo's took a lot of skill and energy to use.

 _But surely General Ironwood can handle it,_ he thought. _He's one of the best graduates Atlas has ever had. He's impressive in combat._

_He's impressive in a lot of ways actually..._

Though he did have to admit, it was a bit surprising that the General of the Atlesian military actually agreed to come all the way to Patch just for a tattoo.

 ** _"Dad!"_** Ruby called from upstairs. **_"Your pen-pal boyfriend is here!"_**

"Not my boyfriend!" Tai retorted.

 ** _"But you like him!"_** shouted Yang. **_"Just ask him for coffee already! You haven't been on a date in almost ten years!"_**

"Hush you two!" he chuckled, hurrying to the door. "And by the way, it's been six years since I've had a date!" He went out to the porch and watched as James' car pulled in front of the house. He could feel his heart racing.

_Just be cool Tai. He's just one guy. Just another Hunter. I mean, he's also the most important man in Atlas, but a normal person nonetheless. No need to get all hot and bothered. And besides, you've only ever seen this guy on TV or on video chats. He probably looks way less impressive in person. Lots of people do._

James exited the car, wearing a pair of black sweats and a simple blue tank top. His hair wasn't pushed back like it usually was in their video calls. His bangs hung loosely against his forehead, almost reaching his brilliant blue eyes. His shoulders were broad, and he had a good three inches on Tai at the least.

_Oh fuck, he's hot._

"Hello General," Taiyang greeted.

James walked up to him and held out a hand. "Just James is fine. No need to be so formal."

"Right. James it is then." The two of them shook hands and entered the house. "Make yourself at home. Would you like anything to drink?"

"I'm good. But thank you."

"No problem."

James glanced around, smiling fondly as he took in his surroundings. "You have a very nice home. Though...I don't see anywhere that's meant for getting a tattoo done."

"Oh, that's that room," Tai said, pointing to the door on the left. "Everything is ready when you-"

**_"Watch your right!_ **

Taiyang spun around just in time to see James throw his arms out and catch the two young girls that had jumped from the railing. "Yang! Ruby! What did I say about jumping from the railing?!"

"Um," Ruby stammered. "Not to do it unless Uncle Qrow is there to catch us?"

"Or if it's an emergency?" Yang added.

"Not at all," Tai sighed.

"Sorry dad," Ruby said, turning to James. "Thanks for catching us."

"No problem," James chuckled, setting them down.

Yang straightened her coat and went over to the closet to get her gym bag. "Tawny's mom is holding training practice at her house, so Uncle Qrow coming to pick us up. He'll be here in a moment."

"Wait-" Tai started.

"Bye dad!" The girls scurried out the door, slamming it shut behind them and leaving the two men alone in the living room.

_They planned this. I just know they did._

"They seem like quite the handful," James mused.

"They are," Tai grumbled, smiling. "But they're good kids. Very smart and strong. Ruby should be figuring out her Semblance any day now."

"I'm willing to bed it's something fast."

"Probably..." Taiyang hurried over to the tattoo room, unlocking the door with the key he kept around his neck. "You ready to get started then?"

James nodded and followed him into the room, seemingly surprised at how small it seemed compared to the space outside. He slipped off the vest, hanging it on the hook on the wall in the back. "So how long does this usually take?"

"It varies," Taiyang stated. "I explained in our last call, remember?"

"Yes, I remember..."

Tai tilted his head, concern coating his gaze. "You not have a lot of time?"

James shook his head as he walked to the chair. "Actually I have too much time. Mandatory vacation for the next two months, then it's off to the battlefield again."

"Front lines?"

"Yes. I...don't like sitting behind a desk while my troops are fighting the good fight."

"That's very brave of you. You're a good leader."

James let out a soft snort, rolling his eyes. "Not really."

"Sure you are. If you weren't, you wouldn't be General."

James just shrugged and watched as Taiyang finished the prep work on the upper arm. Tai did everything he could to keep calm and set to work on adding the intricate vine detailing to James' right side.

"Can I ask you something, James?" Tai muttered as he worked.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Why did you decide on Gravity Dust? Normally people pick Dust that fits with the design like waves with Water Dust or a phoenix made of Burn. But you chose something that isn't usually put in use by people outside of bullets."

James closed his eyes and sighed, the only movements in his face coming from his speech and the occasional twinge of reaction to the needle sliding across his skin.

"Growing up," he said, "I used to live along the borders between Mantle and Atlas. There were quite a few miners there, and one of them was friends with my family. One day, I heard about a mine cave in, and our family friend got caught in the middle of it. Had they had any form of defense, like some way to hold the rocks in place, they could have escaped the cave in."

"Did...did they-"

"They survived, barely. But it was still a terrible incident. I remember waking up from nightmares about it...and where I'll be going next will be a very mountainous terrain."

Everything started to piece together in Taiyang's mind as he listened to James' story. A lingering fear of something he can't control. The high likelihood of something similar happening to him. It made far too much sense.

And it felt all too familiar.

"Do you know how to use Dust in a tattoo?" Taiyang asked.

"I did my research," James assured. "It shouldn't be too hard to master."

Taiyang held back a laugh. He'd heard that quite a few times before from his students back at Signal. "Without the right teacher, you're not going to be able to figure out the tips and tricks needed to control this addition to your body."

"And where am I supposed to find a teacher that knows how to use Gravity Dust tattoos?"

Taiyang snickered, pulling away for a moment so that he didn't make any accidental marks. "If you want, I can teach you. I have a few around my ankles, and my emblem is made of the stuff. I could set aside time for us to use the training hall at Signal if you want."

James gave him a quizzical look. "You? Teach me?"

"Hey," Tai chuckled. "I didn't win the Teacher of the Year award three years running for nothing. I know my way around a battlefield. What do you say?"

James smiled, making Tai's heart skip a beat. "Sure. I don't see why not. It'll have to wait until I get settled though."

"Get settled? Wait...you didn't come straight here for the Dust Tattoo, did you?"

James' face turned bright red and he looked away, trying to remain composed. "Well, I...I figured if I'm going to get the tattoo, I might as well get it done as soon as I can. There were facilities on the ship passengers can use to get cleaned up and the car was waiting when I arrived, and I've been looking forward to seeing you, so...um...What I mean is..."

 _Oh he did not,_ Tai thought. _He did not just say that._

"So, um," James stammered, attempting to change the conversation. "This ink feels different from normal ink. There's more of, um-"

"A tingle?" Taiyang chuckled.

"Yeah. Is that-Is that normal?"

Tai rolled his eyes and set back to work. "It's pretty normal. Once the process is finished it'll feel a little heavy. Though that fades within the first twenty-four hours or so. Also, you might experience some of the effects of your Aura adapting to the change." He gave James a suspicious squint. "I thought you said you went over all this."

"I did," James assured. "But...um..."

 _Oh, I see what's going on here._ "You want me to explain possible effects to you?"

"Yes please."

With a pleasant hum Tai continued his work, explaining about Dust and it's different effects on one's body. He told the story of how when he got his dragon tattoo, he kept overheating the coffee in his mug to the point of shattering the glass, and the look on Ozpin's face when they saw the mess. James listened closely, trying not to laugh as Tai continued on about how a lot of trial and error goes into using the Dust in your skin. This was all information James knew already, he could tell.

But information wasn't what James was after.

Hours went by, and the two of them stopped occasionally to get something to drink or eat. The girls came back for a little bit, only to bolt out the door when they had their things packed. Apparently the girls had been invited to spend the weekend at a friend's house. Taiyang didn't mind being left alone on the weekends. This happened all the time. He wasn't going to keep his children from being with their friends.

A few more hours went by. The two of them talked briefly while the work was completed, never quite looking at each other when their eyes lingered on one another. By the time the bandage was applied to the ink work, it was already well after dark. The house was empty, save for the two of them, and a certain lovable corgi who had finally decided to make himself known and pull on their guest's pant leg.

"Thank you," James said, kneeling to pet Zwei. "For the tattoo."

"No problem," Tai replied. "Anything for you, James."

Tai looked at his feet, trying to find something to say. This wasn't the same as speaking over the phone. James was right there, just a few feet away. There was no way of ducking out of this like with a video chat.

_I can do this._

"So, uh," Tai managed. "If you don't have a place to stay for the night...um...we have a guest room if you're interested..."

"A guest room would be nice," James chuckled nervously. "Better than a ceiling."

Perplexed, Tai turned to look at James, bursting into laughter as he saw the General floating by his right arm and his legs kicking helplessly below him. "I warned you about possible side effects!"

"I know," James stammered. "Uh...Can-can you get me down, please?"

"Sure." With a quick jump, Taiyang grabbed him by the waist, acting as a weight to pull him down again. "There we go! All better."

"Yeah...Thanks..."

"No problem."

The two of them stood there for a while, neither moving should the Gravity pull James up again. Tai's arms remained around James' waist, their eyes locked onto each other. This close, he could make out every detail of James' face, from the minute scars near his right brow to every shade of blue in half-hooded his eyes.

He could feel a hand lightly brush against his cheek. His ears were burning as they began to lean in close.

_This is it, isn't it?_

**_"Eeew! Get a room you two!"_ **

With a startled scream the two of them let go and backed away, with James floating back to the ceiling. Taiyang spun around to see a familiar pair of red eyes glowing from the doorway.

"Qrow!" he bellowed. "What the hell?!"

"Oh, this is too good!" Qrow cackled, pulling out his Scroll. "I've gotta send this to Oz and Glynda."

"Qrow, please!" James groaned. "This is hardly the time-"

"Do you know how hard it is to see you all flustered?" Qrow skipped around, taking photo after photo. "Look at you, all bright red!"

"Qrow-"

"Oh, wait until Oobs sees-"

Taiyang snatched the scroll from Qrow, kicking the caped troublemaker into a nearby wall as he went and deleted the evidence. And for good measure, he changed the password and turned it off.

"What the hell?!" Qrow squawked.

"Qrow, out," Tai ordered, pulling him to the front door. "Go spend the night at Oz's place or something. I'm keeping your Scroll until tomorrow."

"But-"

"You can have it back when you stop being a pain. Now get!" Qrow's howls of laughter filled the air as Taiyang locked him out. "Jerk..." He turned his attention back to James, pulling him down gently. "I'm so sorry about-"

"It's fine," James hummed. "He's like that during meetings anyway. It's alright."

Taiyang smiled and gently pulled James up the stairs, the weightlessness from the tattoo aiding in the endeavor. "Come on. Let's get you settled in for the night."

James gave a throaty chuckle and let himself be pulled along. "Which room am I staying in?"

"It'll have to be mine," Tai mumbled. "If you're going to be floating like this, it's best to get you secured to the bed."

James' raised an eyebrow at him, a playful smirk crawling across his face. "Didn't know you were into that."

"N-no!" Tai gasped. "I didn't mean-"

"I'm just teasing," James snorted. "Do what you have to do, Tai."

_This man is going to be the death of me._

Taiyang pulled him into the master bedroom, letting go and allowing him to float near the doorway while he prepared the bed. Unlike the one in the guest room, this one actually had an underside that allowed someone to crawl under it. He pulled back the blankets before heading to the closet and pulling out a long red silk scarf that could wrap around the mattress and frame.

"Now don't freak out, okay?" Tai said as he pulled James toward the bed.

"Are you going to _Tai_ me up," James asked.

 _Oh god, he's making puns. That's my thing!_ "I _could_ let you sleep on the ceiling."

"...Continue."

"Make yourself comfortable. This...might be a little weird."

Taiyang let go and scurried under the bed with one end of the scarf, jumping back over with it and tying it off so that it wouldn't undo in the middle of the night. With a bit of help, James was soon situated on the window side of the bed, his right arm floating slightly above him while the silk held him by the torso.

"Hope you don't mind this," Taiyang said as he pulled the blanket's over James. "I had to do the same thing when I got mine done."

"All by yourself?" James asked.

"No, I had help from my team. It was rather funny watching them try and pull me off the ceiling." With a stifled yawn, Taiyang began to pull away. "Well, I'd better get some sleep too."

James gently took hold of Tai's hand, a soft look in his eyes as he whispered, "Stay?"

Taiyang felt himself relax gently pulled his hand away. "Let me get changed first, okay?"

"Okay."

Tai made his way over to the closet, quietly thanking himself for making sure the doors swung outward to give him some privacy to change. He quickly slipped into a pair of golden pajama bottoms and a white undershirt before going and turning out the lights and joining James under the covers, stiffening slightly when James' left arm gently pulled him closer. His heart was beating right out of his chest.

 _Relax Tai,_ he thought. It's okay. _Just relax._

"Tai?" James whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright," Tai muttered. "You?"

"Yeah." James leaned in and placed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Goodnight, Tai."

Taiyang smiled and snuggled in closer, resting his head on James' shoulder.

"Goodnight James."

**Author's Note:**

> Oooooh, so close! They _ALMOST_ kissed! Oh well!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
